Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray addressed the people today through a virtual session (archive)
Mumbai:
The Maharashtra government will “fight for justice” and legislation providing a Maratha quota for jobs and college admissions, which was suspended by the Supreme Court on Thursday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said Sunday afternoon in an online speech. to the people of the state.
Thackeray, who described the temporary order as “unexpected,” said his government would not waive the legislation.
“I assure you that we will fight for your justice. Even in the last government, all four parties worked for the Marathas reserve and we will fight for it. We have the best of the best legal advice and we are fighting this battle now in the Supreme Court. we have surrendered, “Thackeray said.
The Chief Minister also asked people for patience and, with an eye to the increasing number of Covid cases in the state, reminded them of the need for social distancing and warned against holding protests.
“The government is with you. So why are you fighting? Why hit the road? Please refrain from protesting due to the pandemic. It is not necessary as the government understands your feelings,” he said.
Thackeray said he had spoken with opposition leaders, including former chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who is now the leader of the opposition, and had assured the government of his support.
“I even spoke with (Mr.) Fadnavis on the phone. He is currently in Bihar and even he has said that we are not interested in politics and that we are with you on this,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
In 2018, Maharashtra passed the Socially and Educationly Backward Classes Act (SEBC), which allows a 16% reserve for Marathas in educational institutions and government positions.
The Bombay High Court confirmed the constitutional validity of the law, but ordered the reserve amount to be reduced; it was modified to 12% and 13%, respectively.
The Superior Court decision was later challenged in the Supreme Court; one of the petitioners, who represented the non-profit organization “Juventud por la Igualdad”, argued that the law “violated the 50 percent reserve limit set by the higher court in its landmark judgment in the Indira Sahwney case, also known as the “Mandal Verdict”.
In July, the Supreme Court refused to temporarily freeze the Bombay High Court order.
The state government, anticipating a challenge to the reservations law, had previously filed a warning in the superior court saying that “an ex-parte order should not be issued on any statement challenging the superior court ruling without listening to the state.”
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